Amid widespread predictions of a Labour wipeout north of the Border, Ed Miliband will refuse to rule out a coalition deal with the SNP when he visits Scotland this weekend.

Jim Murphy has a fight on his hands to hold on to his East Renfrewshire seat

Despite growing pressure from Scottish MPs the Labour leader will insist he is “fighting every step of the way” for a majority.

Miliband said: “The fight is on in Scotland, as it is across the United Kingdom, and the choice is between a Conservative government and a Labour government.”

Labour MPs who face being wiped out by the SNP want their leader to come to Scotland this weekend and state there can be no pact with the SNP.

The prospect of a Miliband government relying on SNP votes to get legislation through the Commons is one many Scottish Labour MPs cannot tolerate.

But down south there are some in Labour who would be prepared to do a deal with the SNP if it meant getting the Tories out of Downing Street.

Some Labour MPs are now urging their Scottish leader Jim Murphy to concentrate on No voting areas such as Edinburgh, the Borders and Aberdeen and abandon the defence of traditional strongholds in the west of Scotland.